Being Saptitude

Anirban woke up with a terrible headache. Drinking that much cheap beer last night had been a terrible mistake. He couldn't believe that he had let his two friends-flatmates-colleagues cajole him into that escapade. But how could he have refused. They had finally got an early release from that damning client project they had been slogging on for months on end - something that called for celebration. All three of them had already been assigned to other more interesting projects - their new assignments starting from next Monday. Anirban had hoped that their celebrations would be planned over the coming weekend, but with Riddhiman and Sourashis deciding to use up some of their pending leave balances to pay a quick home town visit before the new assignment, the party had to be yesterday night. Anirban had decided against following in his friends' footsteps; he had planned a long break of three weeks for his elder brothers's wedding later in the year. It was a tough call - th...

When life is out of control, is it really that easy to roll your lips, blow a whistle and say all is well? Many would believe so. And I'm sure there are some who have found it to be true. But what of those who can't whistle? Of those who don't have a song on their lips or a tune in their hearts? Of those who can't paint, who can't dance, who cannot find rhythm? Of those who eat, but cannot cook? Of those who clap but are never clapped for? What of them? Why must only a few be celebrated by the uncelebrated masses? Is it because the "uncelebrated masses" do not have a bias for action? Those who succeed apparently started somewhere. And kept on trying till they succeeded. Like the proverbial ant. Or was it a spider? But the spider and the ant know what they want. A cobweb. Or the piece of sugar. What if you have a cobweb to stay in and a guaranteed source of sugar? And you do want to do something, but do not know what, much less how? Is it always easy...

Roni was in a rush. His chemistry tutor had taken an extra half an hour of class today to explain about metals and non-metals. As if he needed the explanation. He had been raiding his elder sister Tanni's table for over 3 years now, studying the notes and solving the problems she would give to her engineering students while they struggled. Roni was in class 10, but he felt like he was ready for college. But that's not why he was in a rush today. He was late for his daily fix. Every day of the week he used to visit a different tutor straight after school. Staying in a small town filled with educators meant that nothing, especially teachers, was too far away. But every place, and everyone, has secrets, and he had discovered many nooks and crannies where, on his way home, he could indulge in the cigarette procured from the school peon in exchange for a part of his tiffin - usually a snack like an apple or some mithai, or the joint received from the school bully as reward fo...

"I am sure you are family, though you have doubts. The neighbours interfere all the time, and fickle that you are, you keep transgressing under their influence. "At times I think that I have started hating you, and think you are quite the ungrateful pig. For not appreciating the times when I have lent you a helping hand in times of distress. For not appreciating that the pain I cause you, is only to remove your gangrenous bits, giving you a chance to become stronger. For not appreciating that my vision of our family is the absolute truth, and there can be no two ways about it. For not appreciating my efforts at trying to remove your doubts. "Know this - I will never let go of you. You are mine, and I will not let you go. Even if that means fighting every day. Even if it means that all my energies are so spent in keeping you with me that I can barely do anything else. Even if it means that the neighbours keep poking in our family. "I love you. M...

My Boarding Pass for Martian Flight!

So many people say that. And while there may be some truth in it, its equally true for most people that enjoying life is usually too expensive. A hundred years back, may be, it was easy, and cheap, to get amused. a walk along the river, or in the park, evenings spent with family, a friendly round of the sport of choice... people could afford these... But now, all of these are expensive or difficult or both... A walk along the river... you may end up with a slipped disc from a fall or even fall prey to criminals or policemen. A stroll in the park... most parks are locked up for good, or have been encroached upon. Family time is becoming non-existent due to hectic work and travel schedules, and the omni-potent presence of the idiot box means that whatever little time the family spends together is only a physical presence Sports are costly today - check out the paraphernalia of equipment required, and the quite often ensuing medical care The two most important reasons why rel...

Someone said that life is not about happiness. It is about overcoming a series of challenges in a "Pursuit of Happyness." Some enjoy this pursuit, others get frustrated. Happiness is not measured by the size of your car, the plushness of your house, or the number of stamps on your passport. Some would say that the more material pleasures you have, the more unlikely it is that you will be happy. The essence is to do something which brings a smile to anothers face. Knowing that someone cares for you makes you fulfilled. Knowing that you are the fulfillment of someone's life, makes you happy.

Wake up in the morning to let the maid in and pick up the daily and milk. Get ready for office in record time. Gulp down breakfast. Run down the hill. Flail arms madly hoping to flag down a willing rickshaw driver. Coax the driver to drive fast AND safe. Reach the station and cross tracks looking out for oncoming trains and humans. Squeeze into a packed train. Either stand on someone else’s toes or be stood on your own toes by some one else. Watch helplessly as one’s bag is tossed with the aim of a Jonty Rhodes onto the luggage rack (assuming that one has found a Samaritan to do the job AND there is space on the luggage rack). Feel like a straw in a whirlpool as you are tossed around in the crowd of people getting off before you. Finally reach one’s destination and just wait to ‘flow’ out with the swell…

(With due apologies to Mr Samuel Taylor Coleridge) Water, water, everywhere, Yet all the lakes have shrunk; Water, water, everywhere, But only a few drops to be drunk. The lakes have dried, Bappa, That ever this should be! So water cuts are upon us now, This is no time for glee. Water, water, every where, The roads have turned to drains Water, water, every where, On the tracks that run our trains Everyone is running late (And running a nose too) To get to work we must For shirk we never do!

Why do people write in with their personal problems to the myriad agony aunt columns in newspapers? If I have a problem, wouldn't it be simpler to go to some one I trust, some one who would know more about my past - my case history so to say - and thus be better qualified to give me advice? I have tremendous respect for Mr Suhel Seth... but if he thinks he is answering queries put in by actual people on his column Survival Strategies in the Graphiti (the Sunday Magazine supplement of Kolkata's leading English language newspaper,  The Telegraph ) I think he is mistaken... Read some of the questions and answers that appeared in last Sunday's (29th March 2009) edition. (see them on The Telegraph site here ). You'll find Name and address have been withheld in all cases Nearly in all cases, the questions asked are leading ones The answers attributed to Mr Seth hardly seem like solutions... the nameless and homeless persons asking the questions would be liable to be...

This is the title of a very popular song from the recent Hindi movie Dev.D . While I am not sure of the rest of the lyrics (which can be found here ), the title could definitely personify the angst that one feels today against society large. Jayeeta , a friend of mine at college, had once shared some thoughts with me, which went something like this-  when we are kids, we want to be first in class / sports / talent shows etc... when we are slightly older, we start hankering for attention from the opposite sex... we grow up, get into college, and then start looking out for a plum job... once that is in place, its time to get married... and then have children, who must also be trained to become first in class / sports / talent shows etc... Its a vicious cycle... On umpteen occasions , I have wanted to break free... but as the 'common man' played by Naseeruddin Shah in A Wednesday says "We all have families to run". If I were to follow my heart on those umpteen...

Jug Suraiya has written an angst filled piece on his taxes due to the "Gormint" (of India presumably). Reading it does fill one with a sense of deja vu, having had such similar thoughts on many a previous occassion... What I fail to understand is why can't there be just one tax (if at all there needs to be any tax at all). The government of any country should only be levying land revenue, based on the use that a particular piece of land is being put to. All its administrative and judicial functions should be at a fees (some thing that already happens in a number of cases - electricity is not free; roads come with a toll; education, health even RTI applications all come for a fee). This way, the government would transform itself more to a services company from a tax earning dragon, individual citizens would only pay for those aspects of the government services for which they are in need of and not for the entire government machinery... Also the government of India, especia...

I was at a Hindustani Classical music concert last evening. Organised by a society called the Iyer Foundation and heartily sponsored by a number of well known corporate houses in India, it featured two exponents of the Hindustani Classical music tradition - Smt Ashwini Bhide Deshpande and Pt Sanjeev Abhayankar. Apart from their solo performances, the highlight was a  Jugalbandi   by the two. It was grandly called  Jasrangi Jugalbandi - a concept created by Pt Jasraj where a male and a female singer sing the same song in two different  Ragas,  all the while maintaining their natural scales.  The harmony that was produced was great, and though I am not a connoisseur, and hence could not really appreciate whether they really kept to their scales and  Ragas  (something that was endorsed by Pt Jasraj at the end of the performance), I really enjoyed myself. Pt Jasraj is no doubt one of the greatest musicians in India today. This...

icche hole urbo hoye gonga phoring icche hole horlicks aar tiring biring icche hole boyesh kaale daakbo hori icche hole maakhbo tel phele kori icche hole dekhi horin shobuj chokher icche hole naak daaki baagher daaker icche hole poisa bachai e-mail kore icche hole dil doriya parar more icche hole shob bhule kaaj-e dubi icche hole boka sheje pori tupi icche hole baakyobaader aami-e lara icche hole muchki heshe bakkyo hara First Published on my ibibo blog on 10th March 2007

- Ram Ram babuji! - Kaise ho Munna? - Aapki kripa babuji. Sabh kushal mangal hain. - Shaadi kiye ho kya? - Haan babuji. Pichle saal Pitaji lugai le aaye mere liye. - Bohut acche. Ab kaha kaam karte ho? - Ab to hum Bambai mein rahte hain. Parivaar ko bhi saath le gaye hain. Ab to wohi pe basera hain. - Kya kaam hain? Tankha accha mil jata hai? Mumbai mein to bohut mehengai hain! - Yahi airport mein hain kaam... Kalkatta mein jis kampany mein thay wohi kampany ne bheja hain bambai ka kaam sambhalne... unh... ab aap se kya chupana malik... jab gaye thay to laga tha bohut tankha mil raha hain.. lekin ab to thora mushkil lagat rahi - Toh company walon ko bolna chahiye tumhe... - Ab kya kahe babuji... company ka jo halat hain... woh log to kah rahe hain ki tankha kum karenge...  - Haan.. aaj kal toh charo taraf yehi sunne ko mil raha hain...  - Humaari baatein bohut hui.. Bohut dino ke baad aapse mulakaat hui..  Aap batao.. aap kaise ho? Bhabhi ji... Rinti baby kaisi hain? Ab to iskool shuru...